Ideation Fund: New Beginnings Initiative and Small Teams Initiative

The Collaborative Science, Technology and Innovation program offers non-repayable grant and contribution funding.

The share of contribution funding from the NRC is non-repayable and based on the nature of the project and related expenditures. Overall, the NRC will support up to 75% of eligible project expenditures. At the NRC's discretion, it will also consider contribution funding above 75% under exceptional circumstances.

1. Stacking limits: Recipients can receive additional funding from Canadian federal, provincial, territorial or municipal governments, up to a maximum of 100% of eligible costs.

The following activities are eligible:

1. National and international collaborative R&D and prototype development intended to support the adoption or adaptation in Canada of new or improved innovative or technology-driven products, services or processes.
2. Acquisition and commissioning of equipment necessary to conduct collaborative R&D projects, including purchase of major equipment
3. Projects involving recapitalization and strengthening of research facilities as platforms for collaboration
4. Pre-project activities and initiatives, including support for business plans and capacity building where limited capacity currently exists or further work is required to define and finalize requirements

What project expenditures can the funding be used for?

Direct costs

Expenditures that fall under the categories below, typically used for budget development, are eligible for grant and contribution funding.

Note: Some calls for proposals may have limited eligible costs that do not include all the items listed below. Please refer to the call for proposal and proposal submission documents for information about eligible costs for individual projects.

Salaries

1. Gross wages or salaries and non-discretionary benefits

Research support costs

1. Expenditures for implementing the project, such as for research materials or information technology, as well as expenditures to collaborate externally, for example, to work on reports, studies, seminars, conferences and workshops

Travel and accommodation costs

1. Expenditures for transportation, accommodations and meals incurred by the recipient to carry out the project

Fees for professional services

1. Amounts invoiced to the recipient by a contractor for services rendered that are directly related to the project

Equipment costs

1. Expenditures for acquiring new equipment, including reasonable amounts for delivery, installation or commissioning of the equipment

• The NRC may consider equipment expenditure amounts over $350,000 under a long-term platform if acquiring the equipment will help advance the objectives of NRC's collaborative R&D programs or could help develop further mission-orientation projects throughout or beyond the NRC's program

Indirect costs

1. Necessary expenditures incurred during the project in order to conduct the recipient's general business but that cannot be identified and measured as directly applicable to carrying out the project
2. Indirect costs of up to 10% of eligible project costs are generally eligible

At its discretion, the NRC may approve requests for a higher percentage of indirect costs from Indigenous, not-for-profit organizations and international collaborators when indirect costs could be a barrier to participation (percentage predetermined on the basis of proof of expected overhead expenditures provided by the collaborator at the time of application)